People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH), a grassroots, non-profit community organization working to rebuild the West Side of Buffalo, is advancing plans to renovate three vacant buildings on a four-block stretch of Massachusetts Avenue. The group is working with residents to create and implement an action plan for improving the neighborhood. A prime focus is the redevelopment of empty houses for occupancy by low-income residents.
The City of Buffalo designated PUSH as the redeveloper for 397 and 398 Massachusetts Avenue (left and right in entry image), two vacant City-owned properties, in October 2008. 460 Massachusetts (below), at the corner of Chenango, was acquired in November 2009 from a private owner. Eleven apartments will be created in the three structures.
Funding consists of a $1.47 million grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Renewal and $400,000 from the City of Buffalo. The Buffalo News has details on the "green" rehab plans:
Architect Kevin V. Connors of eco_logic Studio said one important feature is that the rehabilitation projects will embrace green technology. They will have energy-efficient windows and water heaters, solar electric panels and recycled-content materials.
The housing complexes will be painted in "turn-of-the-century" Victorian colors, said [PUSH executive director Aaron] Bartley.
Rents for one-bedroom apartments will be $375 a month, while three-bedroom units will go for $525 a month. PUSH already manages six units of housing.
460 Massachusetts Avenue- from Google Street View
Work is expected to start in the spring and be completed later this year. PUSH has longer-term plans to clean up vacant lots and rehab approximately 200 housing units in a 25-block area south of West Ferry Street and west of Richmond Avenue.
The larger effort may receive funding through the New York State Sustainable Neighborhoods initiative announced by Governor Paterson in his 2010 State of the State address. The pilot program, if it proceeds, is expected to create new, affordable, high quality homeownership opportunities by rehabilitating vacant and abandoned buildings and making them available to first-time homebuyers.